EC denies report of 15 more parliamentary seats for Sarawak

KUCHING, Sept 25 — The Election Commission (EC) has refuted a report suggesting Sarawak would gain 15 new parliamentary constituencies, stating there are no plans to modify the number of federal seats in the state. EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus confirmed no documents were presented indicating any increase in Sarawak's parliamentary constituencies.

"The EC emphasizes there is currently no proposal to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies involving areas in Sarawak, as alleged by the newspaper, which pertains to discussions related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)," Khairul Shahril stated. The EC is presently conducting the Seventh Sarawak Electoral Constituency Redelineation Review, with its proposals available for public viewing from September 1 to 30.

The review aims to add 17 new state constituencies, raising the total number of Sarawak Legislative Assembly seats from 82 to 99, alongside adjustments to the names of some existing state constituencies and one parliamentary constituency. The EC advises the public to rely solely on verified information on the redelineation exercise via the EC's official website and its official statements.

This denial comes after a Berita Harian report earlier today claiming that Sarawak might acquire 15 additional parliamentary constituencies through a proposed electoral redelineation exercise, which would elevate the state's representation in the Dewan Rakyat from 31 to 46 seats. The report noted that the proposal aimed to align Sabah and Sarawak's combined parliamentary representation with one-third of the Dewan Rakyat, as per the MA63.